Unsung heroes in ODI World Cup victories

It’s noted that whenever any team wins a World Cup title, its captain receives a lot of praise for his leadership skills. In 2011, when India won its second One-Day International World Cup title, MS Dhoni was commended for his incredible captaincy and match-winning knock of 91 against Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankheded Stadium. 

Along with Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar were also lauded for their stunning all-round and batting shows respectively. Gautam Gambhir, who scored 97 in the final, was considered an unsung hero of India’s scintillating triumph as his innings got overshadowed by Dhoni’s spunky knock.

However, this isn’t just one case where some player guided his team to a trophy win but didn’t get enough credit for his contribution. There are several instances to recount from the past when players didn’t get sufficient recognition for their humongous efforts in their team’s World Cup triumphs.

Discussing more, here are the five unsung heroes of ODI World Cup victories

5. Yashpal Sharma - India, 1983

Yashpal Sharma was a crucial batter in India’s middle order from 1978 to 1985. In India’s maiden title victory in 1983, the right-handed batter made a vital contribution from his bat. Scoring 240 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 64.00, he ended up as the second-leading run-getter for the team in the competition.

In India’s 34-run win against the defending champions West Indies in the maiden game, Yashpal became the Player of the Match, for his 89-run knock. He also contributed 40 runs to the team against Australia in Chelmsford and became the highest run-scorer in the match. India won the crucial contest by 118 runs and qualified for the knockouts after this victory.

In the semi-final against England, Yashpal again stepped up and scored a half-century to help India chase down 214. Riding on his 61-run knock off 115 deliveries, India achieved the target in 54.4 overs, with six wickets in hand.